Air-ship.



No. 792,933. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. J. G. 8/: J. D. SOHWEERS.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIOATION FILED 001". 10,1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

AUR/VEYS fil MW No. 792.933. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. J. G. & J. D. SGHWEERS.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIUATION FILED ooT. 10,1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS PATENTED JUNE 20, 1906. J. G. & J. D. SUHWEERS.

AIR SHIP.

APPLIOATION FILED 001'. 10,1903.

mums-SHEET 4.

. a iiiilili UNITED STATES- Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANN G. SOHNVEERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND JOHN D. SCHWVEERS, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

AIR-SHIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,933, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed October 10, 1903. Serial No. 176,572.

'10 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J OHANN Gr. Sonwnnns, a citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing in N ew York, borough of the Bronx, and State of New York, and JOHN D. Sonwnnns, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing in Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Ships, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to certain improvements in air-ships by which they can be propelled and steered in avery reliable and effective manner, in connection with an elongated countorbalancing-balloon of semicircular cross-section; and for this purpose the invention consists of an air-ship in which the weight of the supporting-frame is counterbalanced by a balloon and in which the propelling mechanism is composed of a number of sets of wings which are made to rotate on their axes, said wings being supported by shafts rotatable in the ends of radial arms forming frames that are also rotatable, the frames on one side of the balloon being rotated in opposite direction to the frames at the opposite side of the same, the rotary motion being imparted to the frames and wings by suitable motion-transmitting devices operated by suitable motors.

The invention consists, further, of means for adjusting the entire system of wings on the supporting-frame so as to vary the angle of the wings when impinging against the air.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved air-ship, showing the propelling-wings and steering device. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the rear part of the air-ship. Fig. i is a plan view of one of the rotating propelling-wings with its rotary frame. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. 4 with parts of the rotary frame broken away, showing the mechanism for shifting the wings on their axes, so as to place them ata certain angle to the direction of motion. Fig. 6 is a similar side elevation showing the wing shifted askew on its axis. Fig. 7 is a detail section of the shifting mechanism employed, taken on line 7 7, Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged side eleva- 5 tion showing the mechanism for shifting the wings and for feathering the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the main frame of our improved air-ship, which frame is formed of a bottom platform a, a top platform a, and upright standards a and inclined braces a, by which the extensions of the frame of the top platform are braced. The main frame is preferably made of scamless steel or aluminium tubes of suitable strength and lightness, that are connected at their corners by suitable connecting-pieces. The lower platform (4 serves for supporting different motors by which the propelling devices are operated, and which motors may be of any approved construction combining power with the greatest possible lightness.

On the top platform a is supported an elongated balloon B of any suitable construction, which is flattened at the lower part, so as to rest on the top platform, and of approximately semicircular cross-section at its upper part and tapered off at the ends. The balloon B is made of-suiiicient size so as to counterbalance the weight of the main frame, the motors, and the propelling devices, so that a sufficient balance is imparted to the air-ship, whereby the same is completely brought within the control of the propelling and steering devices.

The propelling devices are supported at the jointure of the inclined braces a and the lateral extensions (6 of the upper platform (0. These devices are composed of radiating arms F, forming frames which are rotatable on the shafts F, being supported in journal-bearings f. Each of said propelling-frames has seerably one motor for each set of propellingframes. In the embodiment illustrated three sets of propelling-frames are shown at each side of the balloon; but it is obvious that any number of such frames may be used, according to the length of the same and the size of the air-ship. The radiating arms F, which form the propelling-frames, are provided at their outer ends with journal-bearings n, in which the shafts it of the propelling-wings C rotate. The wings G consist of oblong or rectangular frames 0, over which silk, canvas, or other similar fabric is stretched. Secured to the central portion is a sprocket-wheelp. Alined with these sprockets p are a number of stationary sprockets p of approximately half the diameter of the sprockets 79, said sprockets 9 being secured to angularly-shiftable sleeves Gr, carried by the shafts F. Transmissionchains 1) connect the sprocketsp of the wings with said stationary sprockets p and serve to effect the proper feathering of said wings, as will now be described. The feathering of the wings C is effected as follows: The sprocketwheels 19 are rigidly attached to the shaft F in a manner to be hereinafter described and the sprockets p are rigidly secured to the wings (1. Consequently when the arms F are rotated about said stationary sprockets p the motion imparted to the sprocket-wl'ieelsp by means of the chains is similar to that which would be produced by rotating the central shaft F and holding the arms F rigidthat is, the sprocket-wheels p and the wings are rotated with respect to arms F. wheels 19 are half the size of the sprocketwheelsp, so that in one revolution of the arms the wings will turn a half-revolution with respect to the same, and consequently by adjusting the wings with respect to the stationary shaft the proper feathering of the wings will be brought about. The relative rotation of the shafts R and the frames F is such that on the downward movement of the arms of the latter the wings arrange themselves horizontally, and so present their full surface to the air immediately beneath the same. The reaction caused thereby is sufficient to raise the balloon upwardly. When the wings arrive in their lowermost position, they are rotated around their axis R, so that on their upward movement they are arranged vertically, and so present no retarding-surfaces to the air on their upward movement, so as to offer the least resistance to the air. The wing next following in the meantime descends and again imparts an upward movement to the ship. The frames, with their independently-rotating wings, impart the upward propelling motion to the structure, while the steering and partial forward motion is imparted to the airship by a propeller P which is arranged at the rear end of the upper platform, the shaft K of said propeller being supported in bearings of a horizontal auxiliary platform a, that The sprocketis provided with a slotted guide-rail for the movable journal-bearings (b of the propellershaft, the inner end of the propeller-shaft being connected by a universal joint a with a horizontal shaft S supported in bearings below the top platform. To this shaft rotary motion is imparted from one of the motors by suitable motion-transmitting gear. The movable journal-bearing a of the propeller-shaft is moved over the semicircular platform a in one or the other direction, according to the direction of motion which is imparted to the air-ship. Suitable guide-ropes (4 are connected with the propeller-shaft and pass over pulleys a to the governing-board (not shown) of the motorman. The sprockets p on the shafts F of the frames F are adjustable on the shafts F, by means of which the angle with which the wings impinge against the air is changed. Hereby the speed of air-ship is governed.

For the purpose of improving and accelerating not alone the forward action, but also the steering action, a special mechanism is provided by which the position of the individual wings may be shifted askew, as shown in the position shown in Fig. 6. For this purpose a special lever-operated shifting device is used, which is shown in Figs. 5 and 7 andconsists of a sleeve G, that is placed on the shaft F of the triangular rotary frames F, said sleeve G being provided with setscrews and transverse slots g, that are guided on headed studs g of said shaft, so as to permit a certain degree of angular motion to the shifting sleeve G, on which the sprockof the balloon and which is connected to the different sets of wings. This shaft acts as a fulcrum of the lever, as shown in Fig. 4, so that all the wings at one side of the balloon B can be shifted simultaneously. By moving the lever in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 5 the sleeve G is shifted, and thereby the motion-transmitting sprocket-wheels, by which rotary motion is transmitted to the wings, are shifted simultaneously therewith. The shifting motion is imparted to one end of the wings only, while the opposite end remains stationary, so that one side of the wings is set slightly askew of the other side, while their rotation on their axes is not impaired thereby. In order to allow the wings to be shifted in this manner, a certain amount of play is necessary between the sprocketwheel 2 and the shaft R at the side opposite to the shifting mechanism, and, in fact, there must also be a certain amount in the connections at the corners of the wings. means the wings may be shifted to a very noticeable degree. By the shifting of the wings out of their former position the air-ship is forced forwardly or backwardly, depending on the direction of the wings. If but one set of wings be set askew, a steering motion to one side or the other, according as one set of wings is shifted in relation to the set of wings on the opposite side by the shifting mechanism, can be attained. The shifting mechanism may be arranged at an intermediate point of the supporting-frame and in immediate proximity to the motorman, so that he can readily grasp the lever for setting the wings into proper inclined position, so as to produce the additional steering effect, which is auxiliary to the steering action of the propeller, or shift the wings askew, so as to cause either a forward or backward motion.

By the combined action of the steering-propeller and the adjustment of the wings to proper angle a very efiicient steering action is obtained, while the shifting of one side of the wings in one or the opposite direction, so as to be askew with the other side, controls the forward and backward motion of the airship.

We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an air-ship, the combination with a main frame and a balloon attached thereto, of main shafts on said frame, rotatable propelling-frames on said main shafts, each frame having a plurality of radial arms, wing-shafts supported at the outer ends of said arms, wings flexibly mounted on said wing-shafts, means for rotating said propelling-frames, and means for varying the position of one side of each wing with respect to the other side of the same.

2. In an air-ship, the combination, with a main frame and a balloon attached thereto, of main shafts mounted on said main frame, propelling-frames rotatable on said main shafts, each frame comprising a plurality of radial By this arms, wing-shafts supported at the outer ends of said arms, wings flexibly mounted on said wing-shafts, means for rotating said propelling-frames, and means for angularly shifting either side of each wing independently of the other side thereof.

3. In an air-ship, the combination, with a main frame and a balloon attached thereto, of stationary main shafts mounted at either side of said main frame, propelling-frames rotatable on said main shafts, means for rotating said propelling-frames, wing-shafts rotatable in said propelling frames, Wings flexibly mounted on said wing-shafts and provided at either end with a fixed sprocket, sprockets carried by said main shafts, and sprocket-chains connecting the sprockets on the main shafts with the sprockets of the wings, the sprockets on the former being angularly shiftable so as to permit the independent angular shifting of either side of each wing.

4:. In an air-ship, the combination, with a balloon and a frame carried thereby, of stationary main shafts mounted on said frame, propelling frames rotatable -on said main shafts, wing-shafts rotatable on said frames, wings flexibly mounted on said wing-shafts and provided at either side with a fixed sprocket, means for rotating said propellingframes, angularly-shiftable sleeves on said main shafts, sprockets carried by said sleeves, sprocket-chains connecting said first and last named sprockets, whereby the rotation of said propelling-frames effects the feathering of said wings, and means for adjusting said sleeves so as to vary the position of one. side of each wing with respect to the other side thereof.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHANN G. SOHWEERS. JOHN D. SCHWEERS. WVitnesses:

PAUL GonrnL, O. P. GonPEL. 

